Eumenius

Eumenius (Greek: Εύμένιος; born c. 260 CE at the latest, more probably between 230 and 240 CE), was one of the Ancient Roman panegyrists and author of a speech transmitted in the collection of the Panegyrici Latini (Pan. Lat. IX). He taught at the Gallo-Romain university of Augustodunum (modern Autun, France).

Life Eumenius was born in Gallia Lugdunensis at Augustodunum (modern Autun), the civitas capital of the Celtic Aedui. He was of Greek descent; his grandfather, who had migrated from Athens to Rome, finally settled at Augustodunum as a teacher of rhetoric. Eumenius probably took his father's place, for it was from Augustodunum that he went to be magister memoriae (private secretary) to the emperor Constantius Chlorus, whom he accompanied on several of his campaigns.

In 296 CE, Chlorus determined to restore the famous schools (scholae Maenianae) of Augustodunum. During the periodic crises of 3rd-century Gaul, instruction had ceased, possibly for lack of funding or students, and the buildings had been greatly damaged during a siege of the city in 269 CE. The emperor appointed Eumenius to the management of the schools, allowing him to keep the rank of a senior imperial officer and doubling his salary. Eumenius gave up a considerable portion of his emoluments to the improvement of the schools. This view has been largely abandoned today, and Eumenius is regarded as the author of only Pro instaurandis scholis.